Carrot counting machinery



Feb. 24, 1942. DODGE CARROT COUNTING MACHINERY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 9, 1940 w d w 0 o N m R E 0 VW w WU. A e 5 w M Y B J W FIE Feb. 24, 1942. w. DODGE CARROT COUNTING MACHINERY Filed Sept. 9, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Wes/e9 W. Dodge FIE'I EI ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 24, 1942 UNITED STATES PTENT OFFICE CARROT COUNTING MACHINERY Wesley W. Dodge, Oakland, Calif.

Application September 9, 1940, Serial No. 356,007

12 Claims.

This invention relates to certain improvements in carrot counting machinery, particularly to a machine for assembly of a predetermined number of articles such as carrots into a group.

It is in general the broad object of the present invention to provide a simple, efficient andyet rapidly operating machine for assembly of a predetermined number of singly delivered articles such as carrots into a group containing a predetermined number for packaging. Such a machine, being intended to replace hand operation, must be inexpensive to manufacture, rugged, fast in operation and readily adjustable to handle various numbers of articles.

The invention includes other objects and features of advantage, some of which, together with the foregoing, will appear hereinafter wherein the present' preferred form of the machine of the present invention will be disclosed.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the machine embodying preferred features of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a section taken along the line 5-4; in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of a switch operating mechanism.

Figure 7 is a section taken along the line l--! in Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a schematic view illustrating a wiring diagram.

Figure 9 is a plan view, partly in section, of a portion of the drive mechanism.

Figure 10 is a side elevation, partly in section,

of a portion of the drive mechanism.

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 6, showing a second position of the switch operating mechanism.

The machine of the present invention can be briefly characterized as including a means for feeding the articles to be assembled one at a time, means for assembling the articles so fed until a predetermined number has been supplied and means effective upon this number being assembled for discharging the assembly as a group. Several of the presently described machines are usually operated in a group, each machine handling a different grade and number of carrots.

The frame The drive The top of the frame [2 carries a plate I6 on which is mounted a suitable drive mechanism such as shaft I! supported in bearings l8 and adapted to be constantly rotated from a suitable prime mover as by pulley I9. Mounted upon shaft IT and engaged with a bevel gear is a bevel gear 2|. Gear 20 is supported for rotation on a stub shaft 22 secured to the plate by nut 23. Ratchet wheel 21 (Figure 1), has an extended sleeve portion 25 providing a bearing for its rotation on shaft 22 as well as supporting gear 20. A toothed plate 28 is mounted for rotation on sleeve 26 between the gear 20 and the ratchet wheel.

A gear 22 is mounted for rotation on the shaft 22 below the wheel 21. The gear 24 is selectively driven through a pawl 29 mounted at one end on a pin 29a carried by the gear. A pin 29b projects from the pawl intermediate its ends and through aperture 290 in the plate 28. Gear 2| drives gear 20 constantly as well as the ratchet wheel, the pawl 29 normally being held out of engagement with the ratchet wheel when finger 3| is in engagement with one of the several pins 32 on the plate 23. The controlled movement of finger 3| and its function will be presently discussed in detailthe pawl and ratchet together with the finger serve as a clutch to provide a limited and controlled rotational movement to released from engagement with the ratchet wheel.

Spring 39 is too weak to rotate gear 24 and its associated mechanism to reengage the pawl with the ratchet.

To recapitulate, because plate 28 is rotatably mounted on sleeve 26 and is connected to pawl 29 by pin. 29 spring 30 will normally urge pawl 23 into engagement with ratchet 21, thus providing a driving connection between ratchet 21 and gear 24 to which pawl 29 is pivotally connected by pin 29*. When finger 3| engages pin 32, plate 28 is held stationary, causing pin 29 to become a stationary pivot for pawl 29. As ratchet 21 continues to drive gear 24 with respect to stationary pin 29, pin 29, carried by gear 24 will cause pawl 29 to pivot about pin 29* thus disengaging ratchet wheel 21. Upon release of pin 32 from finger 3!, spring 30 will move pin 29 and plate 28, causing pawl 29 to again engage ratchet 27.

The article distributor Means are provided for receiving and distributing the individual carrots as received, this means being shown as a receiving funnel 4|, mounted on an extended end of a rotatable tube 42. Mounted upon tube 42 and in mesh with gear 24 is a gear 43 rotatably mounted in the plate l6 and supporting the tube and tunnel for rotation. The bottom portion of the tube is fastened to a plate 44 while a portion of the tube is cut away as at 46 to permit a carrot or other object dropping through the tube to be directed by wall 41 outwardly against the spring biased gate 48, hingedly mounted as at 49 on a distributor hopper structure indicated at 50 with gear 43 driven by the gear 24, the tube 42 and the other units carried thereon are rotated selectively.

The pivotal mounting for the gate 48 is provided by a shaft 49 which extends through the hopper and projects from one side thereof to carry the presently described switch operating means (Figure 6).

The article receiving means A plurality of stationary tubelike receiving receptacles 6! are provided in a vertical bank. These are positioned by members 63 in an upright position in the frame l2, The hopper 50 is rotated about the upper end of the tube bank with its discharge opening 82 successively positioned over each tube in turn. Each receptacle or tube carries a closure 64 therefor hinged as at 66 upon the side thereof. Means are also provided for maintaining each closure 54 in article retaining position. In the form of the machine shown this retaining means includes a projecting arm 61 On each closure means extending therefrom to engage a spring biased notched arm $8 as will be further disclosed.

Control rotation of the tube bank It will be recalled that rotation of the tube 42 and its units is in a stepwise manner; that is, each time gate 48 is moved in a clockwise direction, an object falling against it passed, under its control, through opening 52 into one of the receiving receptacles 6|. Each gate opening rotates the switch operator 5| in a clockwise direction (Figure 6). The switch operator 5| includes a member 69 mounted on shaft 49. A switch control member II, adapted to rock a switch operating lever 12, is hinged on member 69 and biased by spring TI) to form a toggle with member 69. When the gate 48 is moved clock wise, the toggle breaks and member 69 is rocked, dragging control member H with it. When the gate returns and moves counterclockwise the broken toggle closes and the effective length of the members H and 89 increases whereby they operate control element 13 in a switch structure indicated generally at 14 when the gate 48 moves counterclockwise into closed position as in Figure aaraeao 6. Switch 14 is preferably one of the so-callcd micro-switch manufactured by the Micro Switch Corporation under the trade-mark Micro Switch. The closure of the switch l4 permits current passage to solenoid 18 mounted upon the plate 16. The plunger in solenoid is connected to a lever 71 which is in turn connected to an arm ill mounted on vertical rod 82 supported for rotation on plate Ill. The rod carries the finger 3!, oscillating the finger 3| whereby tube 42 and hopper 50 are rotated to a position over another receiving chamber 6!.

The receptacle closure means Each receptacle or tube 6| includes a closure means 54 hinged as at on the outer side thereof. An extension El is provided upon each closure means and a pin 65 thereon engages a notched lever 68 hinged upon the side of each tube 6| as at 15 and biased by spring 18 to retain the closure in an article retaining position.

Means are provided for closing each of the closure means and enabling each pin 65 to engage the associated notched lever 88 to latch the closure. This means is shown in the form of a ring 19 rotatably supported by bolts to from the plate 44. One or more shoes 83 are mounted upon this ring which, upon each rotational movement of tube 42, is rotated. The shoe 83 has a cam like surface 84 thereon for engaging each arm 61 and moving it into closed position if it is in open position,

The discharge control Means are provided for opening a selected number of the receptacles BI and discharging the contents thereof. In the preferred form of machine disclosed herein this means is shown in the form of a micro-switch 85 mounted upon the ring 19. A lever 81 is hinged on the ring as at 88 and is biased by spring 89 in a clockwise direction (Figure 7).

The lever includes a cam surface indicated at 85 adapted to be engaged by one of the arms 61 associated with a closed tube or receptacle. Ordinarily the lever B! is held in that position wherein micro-switch 86 is open. When lever Bl is moved outwardly in a counter-clockwise direction in Figure '7 by engaging one of the arms 61, the switch closes. Current is supplied the switch through wires which extend up about one of the rods 80, past the hopper 50 to a suitable power source, presently described. Included in the circuit with the switch 86 is a solenoid 98 secured upon the frame l2 of the machine and having an operating rod 99 depending therefrom to a lever Hll. Lever llll is part of a parallel beam construction indicated generally at I02 employed to support a ring I03 in a horizontal position. When solenoid 98 is energized, rod 339 is lifted. This in turn raises the parallel beam structure whereby ring I 03 is raised to engage those notched arms 68 which are in a position wherein closures 64 are retained. Raising the ring rocks the arms in an unlatching position in which each of the closures is released and the contents of all filled tubes dropped into the hopper l5. The shoe 83 is effective to retain one of the hoppers closed and thus provide for retention of the next article fed to the machine. The number of tubes opened depends on how far arm 81 lags the shoe 83. Since this distance can be adjusted, the number can be readily changed by moving shoe 83 along ring 19.

the coil in solenoid 16.

The power control circuits Referring particularly to Figure 8 the electrical system and the several connections will now be disclosed. A suitable source of power is supplied as the 110 volt power line indicated at H I and H2. Line HI is connected to one side of The other side of this coil is connected by line H3 to a brush H4 associated with a ring H6 mounted upon a suitable insulator member H5 positioned about the tube 42. Three rings are provided on this member, ring H1 and ring H6 being positioned about the periphery thereof while ring I i8 is positioned on the lower side of the member. Associated with each ring is a suitable brush, that indicated at H9 being associated with ring H1, that indicated at H4 being associated with ring H6, and that indicated at I2I being associated with ring H8. Ring H6 is connected byline I22 to one side of the micro-switch 14. The other side of the micro-switch is connected by line I23 to ring H1. From this ring current can pass through brush H9 to line I I2 which is connected to this brush. Closing of the micro-switch l4 energizes the solenoid l6 and current passes through the circuit indicated.

Solenoid 98 includes a coil one side of which is connected by line I26 to the power line I I I. The other side of the coil in solenoid 93 is connected by line I21 to brush I2l associated with ring H8. Ring H8 is connected by line I28 to one side of the micro-switch 86 while the other side of the micro-switch is connected by line I29 to line I23 which, as previously disclosed, leads to ring H1 and thence to brush H9 and power line H2. The various wires are secured to the rotating parts, the rings enabling power to be supplied thereto.

Operation return movement of the hopper gate 43 will be efiective to break the toggle switch control mechanism so that upon closing movement of the gate 48 the micro-switch 14 will be closed, solenoid 16 will be energized and finger 3| will be moved out of position so that the pawl 29 is free to move under the bias of spring 30 and engage its ratchet wheel. Since the actuation of the solenoid 16 is only momentary, the power application is such that finger 3| is immediately returned into position to engage the next pin I 32 on plate 28 and hopper 50 is accordingly only moved one step at a time. Depending upon how far behind the shoe 83 the operating lever 8'5 is positioned on the ring 19, some number of articles will be collected therein as the ring is rotated about the stationary tubes before microswitch 86 is closed upon a rocking movement of arm 81 by the projecting arm 6'! of the first closed hopper. Upon closure of micro-switch 86 current flows through the solenoid 93 and the parallel beam structure I02 is raised upwardly whereby ring I93 releases all except that hopper closure means retained in closed position by the shoe 83. Inasmuch as the shoe 83 and the hopper 58 are placed in the same vertical plane, that tube in receiving position beneath the hopper 53 will always have its closure in an article retaining position.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described,

an-article discharge hopper, means supportin said hopper for rotation, a plurality of tubes arranged vertically in a bank with the upper end thereof in a receiving position in relation to said h pp r. a sure hinged adjacent the bottom ofeach tube and movable thereon into an article retaining position on the tube, means carried by said hopper for moving a tube closure into said position, and means for releasing a plurality of the tube closures from said position.

2. In a machine of the character described, an article discharge hopper, means supporting said hopper for rotation, a plurality of tubes arranged vertically in a bank with the upper end thereof in a receiving position in relation to said hopper, a closure hinged adjacent the bottom of each tube and movable thereon into an article retaining position on the tube, latch elements for each closure effective to retain said closure temporarily in said position, a shoe for successively engaging a latch element on each closure and moving said element to place its associated closure in said article retaining position, means supporting said shoe on said hopper, and a ring carried by said hopper for releasing those latch elements on those tubes in closed position.

3. In a machine of the character described, an article discharge hopper, means supporting said hopper for rotation, a plurality of tubes arranged vertically in a bank With the upper end thereof in a receiving position in relation to said hopper, a closure hinged adjacent the bottom of each tube and movable thereon into an article retaining position on the tube, latch elements for each closure effective to retain said closure temporarily in said position, a shoe for successively engaging a latch element on each closure and moving said element to place its associated closure in said article retaining position, means supporting said shoe on said hopper, a ring carried by said hopper for releasing those latch elements on those tubes in closed position, and means for moving said ring to releasing position when a predetermined number of articles have been discharged into said tubes.

4. In a machine of the character described, an article discharge hopper, means supporting said hopper for rotation, a solenoid controlling rotation of said hopper, a switch operated by article discharge through said hopper and controlling energization of said solenoid, a plurality of tubes arranged vertically in a bank with the upper end thereof in a receiving position in relation to said hopper, a closure hinged adjacent the bottom of each tube and movable thereon into an article retaining position on the tube, latch elements for each closure effective to retain said closure temporarily in said position, a shoe for successively engaging a latch element on each closure and moving said element to place its associated closure in said article retaining position, means support ing said shoe on said hopper, a ring carried by said hopper for releasing those latch elements on those tubes in closed position, a solenoid for moving said ring to releasing position when a predetermined number of articles have been discharged into said tubes, and a switch operated by a latch element in closed position for controlling energization of said ring moving solenoid.

5. In a machine of the character described, a plurality of vertical tubes arranged in a bank, means for discharging an article into a tube from a supply thereof, means for rotating said discharge means to position said discharge means successively over each tube in said bank, and

means for simultaneously releasing all the articles in the tubes at one time.

6. In a machine of the character described, a plurality of vertical tubes arranged in a bank, means for discharging an article into a tube, means for rotating said discharge means to position said discharge means successively over each tube in said bank, and means effective upon discharge of a selected number of articles into said tubes for releasing said articles.

7. In a machine of the character described, a plurality of vertical tubes arranged in a bank, means for discharging an article into a tube, means for rotating said discharge means to position said discharge means successively over each tube in said bank, closure means for each tube movable between an open and a closed position, and means for opening all said closure means simultaneously.

8. In a machine of the character described, a plurality of vertical tubes arranged in a bank, means for discharging an articl into a tube, means for rotating said discharge means to position said discharge means successively over each tube in said bank, closure means for each tube movable between an open and a closed position, means for retaining said closure means in tube opening position, and means for closing all said closure means simultaneously.

9. In a machine of the character described, a plurality of vertical tubes arranged in a bank, means for discharging an article into a tube, means for rotating said discharge means to position said discharge means successively over each tube in said bank, closure means for each tube in said bank, closure means for each tube movable between an open and a closed position upon rotation of said discharge means, means for retaining said closure means in tube closing position, and means for releasing those closure means which are retaining articles.

10. In a machine of the character described, means for discharging on article at a time, a plurality of individual article receiving means, means for moving said discharge means after each discharge therefrom into one of said article receiving means to a position wherein said discharge means can discharge into another of said receiving means, means for retaining a plurality of articles in said receiving means, and means for releasing said plurality of articles when the number thereof attains a predetermined value.

11. In a machine of the character described, a plurality of article receptacles arranged vertically in a circular bank, means for discharging a charge from a supply into each of said receptacles in turn, means for rotating said discharge means after each discharge operation thereof from one receptacle to another, a closure means for each receptacle, means for latching said closure positions prior to article discharge there into, and means for simultaneously releasing all latched closure means retaining an article.

12. In a machine of the character described, a plurality of article receptacles arranged vertically in a circular bank, means for discharging a charge from a supply into each of said receptacles in turn, means for rotating said discharge means after each discharge operation thereof from one receptacle to another, a closure means for each receptacle, means operable upon rotation of said discharge means for latching said closure means in receptacle closing positions prior to article discharge thereinto, and means for simultaneously releasing all latched and article retaining closure means.

VJESLEY W. DODGE, 

